Even if Reattached, It Would Only Be a Decoration...

When the three drew closer, Ye Lingsu saw the faint redness around her daughter's eyes and became even more certain of her suspicions. She paced over.

Once she was close enough, she did not recognize Jin Yan. But seeing that he was not Xue Beng, she felt much more at ease. Only after confirming that her daughter was truly unharmed did she finally relax.

"Mom, this is Jin Yan, Golden Crocodile Douluo's grandson."

Seeing that her mother had not recognized Jin Yan, Ye Lingling introduced him with a smile.

Ye Lingsu froze for a moment, then quickly smiled. "So you're Little Yan. Auntie can call you that, right?"

Jin Yan nodded. "Of course, Auntie. You're still as young as you were two years ago."

"Oh, you and that sweet mouth of yours. I'm much older than I was two years ago."

Ye Lingsu smiled. Compared with two years ago, her appearance had not changed much, but quite a few white strands had appeared in her hair. The past two years must not have been easy for her.

Ye Lingsu's clinic was a two-story wooden building with a small courtyard behind it, where flowers and medicinal herbs were planted.

She led Jin Yan and the other two up to the second-floor balcony, brewed a pot of hot tea, and brought it over.

"Little Yan, try this Golden Leaf Fruit Tea I made. It's sweet and refreshing, and it can also nourish Soul Power."

"This is my mom's exclusive recipe. Even Poison Douluo loves drinking it." Ye Lingling picked up the teapot and poured Jin Yan a cup. After blowing on it, she looked at him with sparkling eyes.

"Thank you, Auntie." Jin Yan accepted the fruit tea. Steam still rose from the rim, and he carefully took a small sip.

"It really is good tea."

Jin Yan sighed in admiration, but Ye Lingsu seemed not to hear him at all.

Her daughter... why had she become so different? Why was she being so attentive?

Just as Jin Yan returned to the clinic, Meng Shenji and the other two arrived at the imperial palace carrying Xue Beng, who had already fainted from the pain.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Summon the imperial physicians at once!"

Meng Shenji shouted loudly before they had even arrived.

The guards at the entrance were about to stop them. This was the imperial palace, a place of great importance—how could anyone simply barge in?

But when they saw the Fourth Prince on Meng Shenji's back, they immediately let them through.

Xue Ye was taking a nap in the main hall, his head resting on his arm. Over the past two years, perhaps because he was getting old, he had become increasingly sleepy. His nights of sleep had also grown deeper, especially after dinner, when he would often fall asleep while handling state affairs.

Meng Shenji's shouts woke him. He frowned, displeasure appearing on his face.

"Who dares make such a commotion in the hall?!"

"Your Majesty, it is the three education committee members from Heaven Dou Royal Academy."

Below, an androgynous-looking person spoke in a shrill voice.

"Why have they left the academy they are supposed to guard and come to see me?"

"Your... Your Majesty, they..."

"You're usually so sharp-tongued. Why have you gone mute now? Speak, quickly."

"Your Majesty, they are carrying the unconscious Fourth Prince on their backs."

Xue Ye's eyes flew wide open, and what little drowsiness remained vanished completely. No matter how much he disliked this son, he was still his own flesh and blood. Urgently, he said, "Bring them into the hall at once! At once!"

"Summon the imperial physicians! Summon them too!"

Before long, chaotic footsteps echoed through the hall as Meng Shenji and the other two rushed in.

Xue Ye stared wide-eyed at the miserable state of his son.

His face was deathly pale, and there was no vitality in his body. If not for the slight rise and fall of his chest, no one would have known he was alive. His groin in particular was a mass of blood, and blood was still dripping from his soaked trouser legs, glaringly obvious in the vast, empty hall.

Xue Ye restrained the urge to rise. As the ruler of a nation, he could not show his vulnerable side before his ministers.

Forcing down the rage in his heart, he pointed a trembling finger at Xue Beng.

The middle-aged man below was very tactful. He stepped forward, caught the faintly fishy stench, and instinctively raised an orchid finger to fan the air. Suppressing his nausea, he lifted the rag between Xue Beng's legs with two fingers and leaned in for a look, his heart jolting.

What exquisite technique. One clean cut at the root, without the slightest hesitation.

He raised his head to look at Xue Ye and slowly shook his head.

Xue Ye closed his eyes in pain, then angrily hurled his teacup at Meng Shenji and the other two.

"Useless trash! I entrusted my son to you, and this is how you watched over him!

You may beat or punish him at the academy as you please. I could even accept him losing a couple taels of flesh, but not these two taels!

What will the other powers think of my Heaven Dou Empire?!"

Xue Ye stood up, his chest heaving and his eyes filled with fury, like an enraged old lion.

The teacup struck Meng Shenji and shattered with a bang. Porcelain shards, tea, and tea leaves splattered across his face. He did not dare use Soul Power to clear them away and hurriedly dropped to his knees, knocking his head against the floor.

"Father, I heard something happened to my younger brother. Are his injuries serious? I brought the imperial physicians."

Xue Qinghe's voice came from outside the hall, followed by several sets of footsteps.

At the same time Meng Shenji arrived at the imperial palace, he had already sent someone to notify Xue Qinghe at Crown Prince Manor.

Hearing his voice, Xue Ye glanced at Meng Shenji, and the anger in his heart subsided slightly.

This old thing should stay alive. At least he's loyal to Qinghe, and Qinghe will find him useful in the future.

Xue Qinghe appeared in the hall, followed by Ning Fengzhi and Bone Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"Qinghe greets Father."

"Greetings, Your Majesty." Ning Fengzhi and Bone Douluo gave Xue Ye slight bows in greeting.

One was the master of an Upper Three Sects sect, while the other was a Title Douluo-level powerhouse. Both had the privilege of not kneeling before an emperor.

Though Ning Fengzhi wore a worried expression, inwardly, he was already ecstatic. He had learned what happened on the way here.

Xue Beng had been cut. That was hardly bad news for him. He was Xue Qinghe's teacher, and now that Xue Beng had been cut, he could no longer qualify to inherit Xue Ye's throne. In that case, no matter how absurd or foolish Xue Qinghe might be, so long as he had not also been cut, the throne was practically welded to him and could not be removed. When the time came, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would reap enormous benefits from it. How could that not be good news?

Still, before Xue Ye, an emperor currently consumed by fury, he put on a somewhat worried expression.

The imperial physician stepped forward to examine Xue Beng's injuries and released his healing martial soul to treat him.

"Imperial Physician, how is he? Can it still be reattached?"

Meng Shenji had retrieved the two taels of flesh Xue Beng had lost, preventing it from being carried away by stray dogs. He now took it from his Soul Tool and asked.

When Xue Qinghe saw the two taels of flesh in Meng Shenji's hand, a faint blush surfaced on his face, though he quickly concealed it and casually glanced away.

The imperial physician shook his head and sighed helplessly. Facing Xue Ye, he knelt and said, "Your Majesty, this old minister is incapable. The flesh in the Fourth Prince's groin has been damaged and necrotized by Soul Power, while the piece that fell off has already rotted beyond recovery. Even if this old minister reattaches it for His Highness, it will hardly function afterward. It can only serve as a decoration..."